It's more fun in a Mercedes-Benz...although always more expensive. But it's worth it. I swear, it's worth it.

Germany in the Wintertime
First day of snow!
(and now it keeps coming...and coming)

So Saturday we took the S-Bahn (the slow train--2 1/2 hours compared to the ICE, which is 30 mins) to Stuttgart and visited the Mercedes-Benz museum, and walked around Stuttgart for what seemed like forever.


We got to see a lot of little German towns (from the train of course), but overall it was a very easy journey!








The Mercedes-Benz museum was quite awesome. It was about 8 levels, and the levels spiral down.

The outside of the Museum

Signage...and who says you can't capture snow on film?

The first thing you see when you enter the museum is this car. After that, you get your tickets and check in your bags and coats...no bags allowed for some reason...just glad I brought my wristlet!

The tour begins on the 8th floor with the beginning of the transportation used...Which of course are horses!

Buggies...what they started with!

They also had lots of dioramas showing old Stuttgart. I saw some of this style of house while walking around Stuttgart, but apparently they were quite the fire traps, so most are gone.

Trains! Probably the Hauptbahnhof (Main Train Station)

Travel by car, by boat, by air, or by bike...they all look pretty awesome, although they didn't go very fast, and were probably more than a bit unsafe!

Mercedes-Benz was originally two different companies that merged after WWI. 'Mercedes' for Daimler's daughter...apparently he named everything he could Mercedes...and Carl Benz. They both started at about the same time though!

Fire pump
Although these still had to be pulled by horses, this was as effective as a 25 man bucket brigade!

Fancy!

They started out pretty early with trucks...and look at those fine motors! The average speed of these trucks was about 8 mph (they had everything in English along with Deutsch and metric measurements), although some of the cars went an explosive 12mph.

Early logos

After that first level, the real interesting cars started coming up...

Apparently Mercedes (his daughter) didn't live long enough to drive a car...

Each level also included looks at some specific parts as well. Here is the first 'modern automobile', some models, and a look at the steering wheel assembly!

Each level also had a side room that starts with models, and then usually has a lot of bigger buses and trucks. They give you an audio set to listen to, and whenever you come to a placard with the hearing symbol on it, you press the power button on your headset, and it comes up with all sorts of information--technology, social trends, etc. I just wish we had had a couple more hours at this museum so I could learn more!

View of Stuttgart

Buses...the bus I go to school in every day is Mercedes-Benz...of course!

Apparently rear view mirrors came about from a women's magazine telling lady drivers to always carry mirrors--not only to see while driving, but in case something breaks so they could see underneath the car.

One of the first double-decker buses...because of London of course! Although buses really became popular after WWI because people didn't have the money they used to have.

 

 

And don't forget the planes!

View from above...they were constantly giving sneak peeks of what's coming!

Some cool ads...and some more cool cars!

Apparently with the advent of weight restrictions on the roads after WW1, they had to totally redesign how they made their trucks--number of axels, etc. It was long and complicated, and I don't remember how they did it, but they did. Somehow.

Welcome to the 50's...Car racing, Elvis, and wing-doors

Elvis...big enough to merit his own picture on the "Wall of History"

Design and Safety--both in the structure, and what the vehicles are used for

Definitely a different siren sound!

More cars!

Lot's to see! All different levels :)

And look Ma! They even have a Popemobile! (And cars driven by Grace Kelly, and other famous people. Possibly Elvis. They like Elvis.)

Probably the only driving I'll be doing while I'm here!

Racing...throughout the years

 The Simulator...only costs 4e! It was moving around like crazy!

Cars of today...and beyond!

And this was the end of our tour...there was just a place where you could 'design' your own car (where there was a professional that made any drawings you possibly drew look like crap) and your own steering wheel.

 After that, we walked around downtown Stuttgart--but I definitely would go back here (and spend a lot more time here as well!